Matt Nurge

Shady Lady SaloonYears bartending: 8Personal style: “I like to go back to forgotten cocktails and rehash them.”Signature drink: Chapelle Cocktail (gin, sweet vermouth, fresh lime juice, falernum, pineapple chunks and freshly grated nutmeg)What he loves about the profession: “I was kind of born into it. My mom worked at Joe Marty’s, and I grew up watching cartoons there before school. It’s in my blood.” Strangest request: “Someone asked me once for tequila, hot sauce, Red Bull and coffee in a pint glass. I just couldn’t make it for them.”

Art Rodriguez

Old IronsidesYears bartending: 25Personal style: “I’m really easygoing. Not a lot of things bother me. If a person is being loud or has had too much to drink, I just talk calmly to them.”Signature drink: “I’ll make anything. I make a good margarita.”What he loves about the profession: “I enjoy all the people that I meet. Because of where I work, I also meet a lot of bands—like Cake, Sublime, Jackpot.”Strangest request: “This one is strange: a gorilla fart. It’s a shot with half Bacardi 151 and half Wild Turkey.”

Chris Rose

Mercantile SaloonYears bartending: 14Personal style: “I like to entertain people by dancing and singing.”Signature drink: “I’m told I make a great martini. I also make a mean Bloody Mary.”What he loves about the profession: “I love people. Customer service is at the top of my list. And I like to kid around with a lot of people. I also love that we’re a family here. The owners think of us as their children. They are fantastic people.”Strangest request: “Probably a daiquiri; we don’t make those here.”